Circuit breakers are used to protect electrical circuits from damage caused by overload or short circuit. The function of a circuit breaker is to sense a fault, and to immediately discontinue the flow of electric current. After removal of the fault condition, a circuit breaker may typically be reset to thereafter resume normal operation.
Circuit breakers come in a wide variety of current/power ratings and tend to be grouped according to these ratings. The largest devices of this group are air circuit breakers (ACBs). These typically are rated from 1,600 amps to 6,300 amps and are typically used in large feeder circuits to distribution assemblies. Another group is molded case circuit breakers (MCCBs) which are typically rated from 16 amps 1,600 amps. These are typically used for feeding large equipment, sub-distribution ports etc. The last group is used for final distribution and are typically used to protect light circuits, powerpoints, in homes, factories, and offices. These devices are referred to as miniature circuit breakers (MCBs).
The present invention is primarily directed towards MCBs.
Circuit breakers specifications vary substantially depending on a number of factors, including their current ratings. Manufacturers typically manufacture a wide variety of internal components for circuit breakers. Circuit breakers typically vary in conductor size and coil windings, depending upon the current rating and trip characteristics.
In installations or commercial premises, circuit breakers are typically housed at centralized distribution boards. Various meters are also often housed in the distribution board, to enable monitoring of the quantity and quality of power utilized in the premises. Sometimes, control circuitry is additionally provided at or in association with the distribution board to control the operation of one or more electrical circuits within the premises.
A Hall-Effect sensor is a transducer that varies its output voltage in response to a magnetic field. Hall-Effect sensors are used for proximity switching, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications.
In its simplest form, the sensor operates as an analog transducer, directly returning a voltage. With a known magnetic field, its distance from the Hall plate can be determined. Using groups of sensors, the relative position of the magnet can be deduced.